The number of full-time faculty members is adequate to support the mission of the institution. The institution has adequate faculty resources to ensure the quality and integrity of its academic programs. In addition, upon application for candidacy, an applicant institution demonstrates that it meets the comprehensive standard for faculty qualifications. (Faculty)

Summary

Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) is in compliance with this core requirement. Over 50% of the College’s faculty were full-time for the Spring 2005 semester and 46% were full-time for the Fall 2005 semester, a ratio that compares very favorably with other community colleges in the state of North Carolina. Further, because part-time faculty usually carry a lighter course load, over 70% of all classes or sections were taught by full-time faculty for the Spring 2005 semester and the Fall 2005 semester.

Narrative

The number of full-time faculty is adequate to support the instructional mission of Cape Fear Community College. Within curriculum, 50.7% of CFCC’s instructors were full-time in the Spring 2005 semester. In that semester, according to the CFCC payroll, the College employed 219 full-time and 213 part-time faculty members. For the Fall 2005 semester, 46% of CFCC’s instructors were full-time. In that semester, according to the CFCC payroll, the college employed 221 full-time and 264 part-time faculty. These ratios compare very favorably with community colleges across the state. According to the North Carolina Community College System Office, for academic year 2004-2005, 42.9% of North Carolina community college curriculum faculty were full-time (Ratio). Even though favorable for CFCC, this ratio is somewhat misleading since, in general, part-time faculty instruct fewer sections than full-time faculty. As reported by the academic deans and department chairs for Spring 2005, of 1248 sections of courses offered by CFCC, 932, or 74.7%, were instructed by full-time faculty. The deans and chairs also report for Fall 2005 that full-time faculty instructed 72.7% or 914 sections from a total of 1,257(Full-time vs. Part-time Sections). Another measure of faculty resource adequacy is done each year via the CFCC Graduating Student Opinion Survey. For 2004, of 1,106 graduates surveyed, only 5 (less than 1%) reported the reason they did not achieve their academic or vocational goals at CFCC was dissatisfaction with the quality of instruction; over 80% (over 90% if “omits” are disregarded) reported satisfaction with the overall quality of their academic program and with the quality of instruction within the program (Graduating Student Opinion Survey Results).